1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data processing system having an external terminal, such as a personal computer (hereinafter referred to as PC), and a data communication device, such as a facsimile device, having an interface with the external terminal, and to a data processing method in the same system.
2. Related Background Art
It is conventionally known that in such a system, for example, when the facsimile device receives data through a telephone line, the facsimile device notifies the PC connected thereto through the interface of the reception of data.
The data received may be data to be checked by its recipient as soon as possible, data that does not have to be checked soon, or other data, and the conventional technology was susceptible to improvement in making the recipient properly handling the data received.
An object of the present invention is to provide a data communication device and a data processing method that overcome the above issue.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a data communication device and a data processing method that are so adapted that when the data communication device receives data with high urgency, it can make an operator of an external terminal properly handle the received data.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a data communication device and a data processing method that permit an operator of an external terminal to readily select desired data out of plural data items received by the data communication device.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a data communication device and a data processing method that permit easy execution of highly urgent communication with a specific companion.
The above objects and other objects of the present invention will become more apparent from the detailed description based on the drawings, which follows.